List of parishes in Louisiana
The U.S. state of Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes in the same way that 48 of the other states of the United States are divided into counties (Alaska is divided into boroughs and census areas). Forty-one parishes are governed by a council called the Police Jury. The other twenty-three have various other forms of government, including: president-council, council-manager, parish commission, and consolidated parish/city. Louisiana was formed from French and Spanish colonies, which were both officially Roman Catholic. Local government was based upon parishes, as the local ecclesiastical division (French: paroisse or Spanish: parroquia). Following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the Territorial Legislative Council divided the Territory of Orleans (the predecessor of Louisiana state) into twelve counties. The borders of these counties were poorly defined, but they roughly coincided with the colonial parishes, and hence used the same names.Bryansite - Louisiana parishes On March 31, 1807, the territorial legislature divided the state into 19 parishes without abolishing the old counties (which continued to exist until 1845).Louisiana Timeline - 1807 In 1811, a constitutional convention was held to prepare for Louisiana's admission into the Union.The Admission of Louisiana into the Union This organized the state into seven judicial districts, each consisting of groups of parishes. In 1816, the first official map of the state used the term, as did the 1845 constitution. Since then, the official term for Louisiana's primary civil divisions has been parishes. __TOC__ Listing | region_seat_width = 155px | region_seat_title = Parish seat | region_seat_ref = | data2_width = 100px | data2_title = Established | data2_ref = | data3_width = | data3_title = Origin | data3_ref = | data4_title = Etymology | data4_width = | data4_ref = Louisiana Dept. of Public Health Parish Profiles | population_ref = | area_ref = }} |} |} Former Parishes #Biloxi Parish formed in 1811 from West Florida territory. It was eliminated in 1812 when part of the former West Florida area was transferred to Mississippi Territory. #Carroll Parish formed in 1838 from part of Ouachita Parish. In 1877, it was divided into East Carroll Parish and West Carroll Parish. #Feliciana Parish formed in 1810 from West Florida territory. In 1824, it was divided into East Feliciana Parish and West Feliciana Parish. #Pascagoula Parish formed in 1811 from West Florida territory. It was eliminated in 1812 when part of the former West Florida area was transferred to Mississippi Territory. #Warren Parish formed in 1811 from part of Concordia Parish, and merged into Concordia Parish and Ouachita Parish in 1814. Parishes The thirteen parishes defined by the Territorial Legislative Council in 1803 were: #Acadia Parish #Attakapas Parish #Concordia Parish #German Coast Parish #Iberville Parish #Lafourche Parish #Natchitoches Parish #Opelousas Parish #Orleans Parish #Ouachita Parish #Pointe Coupee Parish #Rapides Parish In addition, Feliciana Parish was established in 1810 from West Florida territory. Fictional parishes * In the novels Little Altars Everywhere, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and Ya-Yas in Bloom, author Rebecca Wells created the fictional "Garnet Parish". * The movie Steel Magnolias was said to take place in the fictional "Chinquapin Parish", likely a suburban parish of Shreveport, Louisiana. However, the movie was shot in Natchitoches, Louisiana and involved several elements of culture indicative of the town and parish of the same name. For example, the annual Christmas Festival of Lights in Natchitoches is shown, as is Cajun dance styles to a distinctive country-Cajun band (Natchitoches is in the Crossroads cultural region of Louisiana, where south Louisiana's Catholic Cajun culture meets Protestant Anglo culture of North Louisiana.) * Part of Walter Jon Williams' novel The Rift is set in the fictional Spottswood Parish. * The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels written by Charlaine Harris and HBO's True Blood which is based on the novels take place in the fictional Northwestern Louisiana "Renard Parish". * In the movie In the Electric Mist, Deputy Jason J. Bayard was from the fictional "St. Clare Parish". References * - Counties, parish seats, areas, names and date of formation of current parishes * - Formation dates and origin of parishes External links * Community portals for all Louisiana Parishes Category:Parishes of Louisiana Louisiana, parishes in Parishes